Cardamom Honey Roasted Chicken Food

ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ORANGE, CARDAMOM AND TURMERIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• In the bottom of a foil-lined broiler pan, toss the potato slices with a generous drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper, to taste.
• In a small bowl, stir together the butter, shallots, garlic, cardamom, orange zest, orange juice, turmeric, garam masala and salt and pepper, to taste. Separate the skin from chicken flesh using your index finger, moving it back and forth. Do not remove the skin completely, just make a pocket. Spoon half of the butter mixture under skin of 1 breast, smoothing it out with your index finger. Repeat with other chicken breast.
• Put a rack over the potatoes in the broiler pan and arrange the chicken on the rack. Roast until the chicken registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, and the potatoes are tender. Remove from the oven and transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving platter. Allow to rest for 5 minutes then serve.

CARDAMOM BUTTER CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the garlic, ginger, chillies and coriander stalks in the small bowl of a food processor with a good pinch of salt, and blend to a fine paste - or grind to a paste using a pestle and mortar.
• Heat 2 tbsp of the ghee or oil in a large pan, add the onions and cook slowly for 15-20 mins until golden and caramelised. Tip in the garlic-ginger paste, turn up the heat and cook for a further 5 mins. Add the ground spices and cook for 2 mins more until fragrant. Scoop the spicy onion mixture out of the pan into a bowl.
• Add the remaining ghee or oil to the pan and cook the chicken over a medium-high heat until browned all over. Tip into a bowl, cover and set aside.
• Return the onion mixture to the pan along with the whole spices, tomatoes and a can full of water (400ml). Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 40 mins.
• Return the chicken to the pan and cook, uncovered, for a further 10 mins until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the yogurt and cream, season well and scatter with coriander leaves. Serve with chapatis and rice.

ORANGE-CARDAMOM ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the butter, cardamom, orange zest, ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
• Butterfly the chicken: Place on a cutting board, breast-side down with the neck toward you. Using a pair of sharp kitchen shears (and your biceps), cut through the bones on either side of the backbone; the spine should come away in a narrow strip, which you can discard or save for stock. Flip the bird over, breasts facing up and closest to you. Using the heel of your palm and your body weight, push down on the breastbone; you should hear it crack. The chicken should lie flat now. Rotate the drumsticks toward the center line of the body so she looks a little knock-kneed. There you go. You just butterflied a chicken!
• Slide your fingers between the flesh and the skin over the breasts, thighs and drumsticks. Use a teaspoon to deposit a little of the flavored butter into each pocket and smooth it out over each part of the chicken, making sure the butter is evenly spread, then pat the skin dry.
• Toss the potato slices with the sunflower oil, season with salt and pepper and let them sit in a bowl at room temperature alongside the chicken for 30 minutes. Give your oven a quick wipe down before preheating it to 500 degrees F. (The high temps will cause any leftover drips to smoke you out of your kitchen! If your oven still smokes, then turn it down to 450 degrees F after the first 10 minutes.)
• Drain off the water that's been drawn from the potatoes and pour the potatoes into an even layer in a large cast-iron skillet. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and tuck the wings under her shoulders. Pop the whole kit 'n' kaboodle into the oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Rotate the skillet and cook for 20 more minutes, until the skin is crispy, the juices run clear and the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board, loosely tented with foil. Using a fish spatula or slotted spoon, gently turn the potatoes. If you'd like them crispier, pop them under your broiler for 3 to 5 minutes. Scoop out the potatoes onto a platter, leaving behind the pan grease. Cut the chicken into pieces, place them on top of the potatoes and serve with boldness and courage!
• Find more recipes from Aarti in her cookbook, Aarti Paarti ($28, Grand Central Publishing).

CARDAMOM HONEY ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 390°F Warm the honey so that it is liquid, stir in the sherry, cardamom and peppercorns. (If you are grinding the spices with a mortar and pestle, be sure to remove the seeds from their pods prior to grinding.) Place marinade and chicken in a large resealable bag, coat chicken with marinade. Close bag and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (no longer than that).
• Heat olive oil in a large frying pan at medium high heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until golden. (If you plan to discard the skin, as I do, you can omit this step. Just add an additional 5-6 minutes to the baking time.).
• Place lemon slices in a roasting pan. Lay the chicken pieces on top. Lightly brush with the marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the remaining marinade. (Warning: Do not be tempted to pour the marinade in the baking pan, it will be a mess.).
• Place in the oven and bake until done, approximately 25 minutes for breasts.
• (According to the original recipe it is 20 minutes for thighs, wings, and drumsticks, but I found the time for breasts to short so please check for doneness.) Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• Pour out drippings from the pan into a gravy boat for gravy.

CARDAMOM CHICKEN WITH SALT AND PEPPER CRUST

Steps:

• Place the garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and cardamom in a resealable plastic bag. Place chicken thighs in the bag, and squeeze to coat. Press out most of the air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the marinade. Place chicken on a broiling pan or baking sheet. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until chicken is browned and crisp, and cooked through.

CARDAMOM HONEY CHICKEN RECIPE

Steps:

• If a recipe calls for ground cardamom, it is best to start with whole pods. Break open the pods to release the tiny brown and black cardamom seeds. Use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind the seeds.
• Preheat oven to 390°F Warm the honey, stir in the sherry, cardamom and peppercorns. Place marinade and chicken in a large bowl, coat chicken with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large frying pan at medium high heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until golden.
• Place lemon slices in a roasting pan. Lay the chicken pieces on top. Brush with the marinade. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake until done, approximately 15 minutes for breasts, 20 minutes for thighs, wings, and drumsticks. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Pour out drippings from the pan into a gravy boat for gravy.